


Room Enough for Two

by Owlwithafringe



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternative Canon, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Lives, Humor, Hurt Gabriel, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Protective Sam Winchester, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-16 02:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5810695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sam and Dean got the call from Castiel, they didn't quite believe what he'd told them. His frown was practically audible down the phone line and a shared look between the brothers was all that was needed before they packed their bags and hit the road. </p><p>  <i>Gabriel was alive.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aleatory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleatory/gifts).



> I'm too lazy to write this all in one go so here, have it in two chapters instead.
> 
> I had a really shitty day a little bit back, and **[aleatoryw](http://aleatoryw.tumblr.com/)** sent me a long and elaborate headcanon to cheer me up. In short, I liked it so much that I decided to write it, so thank you aleatoryw for taking a moment out of your day to make me feel better, and I really hope you like what I've done with your idea. Also thanks to **[Char](http://gabe-trash.tumblr.com/)** for betaing Chapter 1 and **[Rhiannon](http://ofboysandravens.tumblr.com/)** for betaing Chapter 2. What started out at 1k one shot, has sort of snowballed out of control.
> 
> Also, seriously consider listening to **['Keeping Your Head Up' by Birdy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8AXUq5uA0Y/)** when you read this. This song hadn't been released until I'd published the first chapter however the lyrics are literally the most perfect accompaniment to this fic (and the song is really good).

When Sam and Dean got the call from Castiel, they didn't quite believe what he'd told them. His frown was practically audible down the phone line and a shared look between the brothers was all that was needed before they packed their bags and hit the road. 

 

They drove through the night without a rest to reach the address that Castiel had given them. The sun was barely breaking over the skyline, shadows stretching away from sunrise as if they were fleeing from the light.  

 

They pulled up to the motel silently, only the soft growl of the Impala's engine, and the crunching of the tires against gravel, breaking the stillness. They left their bags in the car in haste, bypassing the motel's check in desk and checking each room number they passed, frantically looking for the one Castiel had given them, until they found it.

 

Dean knocked his knuckles impatiently against the painted door that declared itself as being 'Room 45' in a tarnished brass sign, foot tapping as if it would make the door open any faster. Seconds passed before the door swung open; Castiel's concerned face appeared in the door frame. However, the tension that had been building, since they had hung up the phone with him the night before, made it seem like eons.  

 

Castiel and Dean shared a look, indecipherable to Sam. It only lasted a mere second, but it clearly said everything it needed to, since they then exchanged a curt nod. Cas stepped aside from the door and Dean pushed in past him. Sam followed his brother in, nodding a hello at Castiel, before freezing in the middle of the room as he spotted the figure lying on the bed.  

 

Castiel had briefed them on what to expect but actually seeing it in the flesh was so much different from whatever Sam's mind had conjured up on the journey there. 

 

Sam couldn't take his eyes off the sleeping figure. He looked exactly the same as the last time they'd seen him. The same khaki jacket that was always slightly too big on him; the same golden hair curling at the nape of his neck. The only thing different was his expression: instead of the mischievous smirk, his face was smooth of any emotion. He almost looked peaceful.  

 

And there was also the fact that the last time they'd seen him, he was dead. Or about to die anyway.  

 

Of course, it wouldn't be the first time any of them had died and then brought back to life, but Gabriel? Gabriel had gone into that hotel knowing he would not leave it. They'd all held out some hope that it had been a trick too; that somehow he'd managed to bullshit his way out of this one, one final time. Nothing ever appeared to suggest even the remotest possibility that Gabriel was still alive (and they had searched) but eventually that hope flickered in and out until it had been completely  extinguished.  

 

But, lying there unconscious on a cheap motel bed, was undeniably Gabriel, or at least his identical twin or something.  

 

"Is it really him?" Dean asked Castiel gruffly, keeping his voice low and quiet as if he didn't want to disturb the slumbering angel. 

 

"It's his grace, yes." Castiel confirmed, "I’ve managed to stabilize it, but it's incredibly weak; almost completely destroyed. Probably due to his incursion with Lucifer." 

 

"Well yeah, he did kinda kill him. It sort of takes a lot out of a guy, yannoe?" Dean replied sarcastically. 

 

"I am aware. Gabriel wasn't the only one to be killed by our brother."  

 

"Damn Cas, I'm sorry man," Dean said somewhat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I forgot."  

 

"It is fine Dean, I know you meant no ill intent. But that doesn't change the fact that Gabriel is the only free Archangel in this universe and he is extremely vulnerable right now.”

 

“Are you saying he’s gonna be number one on the monster’s most wanted list, because of his power?”

 

“What I’m saying is that Gabriel will be lucky if he survives the equivalent of having his grace ripped out and what was left of it sewn back together and shoved back in.” Castiel replied plainly.

 

Dean let out a long whistle as if the fact impressed him. Sam felt a muscle on his jaw twitch as he clenched his mouth shut. Gabriel literally died for them and their cause and Dean’s attention was preoccupied by Gabriel’s patchwork grace? And, if that wasn’t enough, Sam couldn’t even imagine the pain Gabriel would probably be in if he wasn’t unconscious. 

 

“He needs somewhere safe to recuperate and strengthen the grace he has left back to the level it once was,” Castiel continued, “He could again become a powerful ally in the future.”

 

“What about the fact that he’s your brother and you want him to get better?” Sam asked, finally turning away from the bed to face Castiel, arms crossed against his chest.

 

Castiel met Sam’s eyes squarely, if not sadly as he replied, leaving Sam reminded how ancient those blue eyes actually were. “If I lamented for every brother and sister that I have lost, then I fear I would never cease to weep. You and Dean have your distractions to help you cope - this is mine.”

 

Sam nodded wordlessly, placated by Castiel’s response. He understood Castiel’s need to detach himself from the situation, but the amount of loss that he would’ve had to go through in order for him to have that instinct was truly heartbreaking. 

 

Castiel turned to Dean. “The safest place for Gabriel is the Bunker. Would you give him refuge there?” 

 

Dean glanced at Sam, his hesitation apparent. No doubt every instinct of his was screaming no but if he factored in Gabriel’s sacrifice and Dean’s loyalty to Cas, along with the glare Sam was currently giving him, his resolve was slipping. 

 

“Fine.” Dean agreed, “But any sign of trouble and he’s out, ok?”

 

“Thank you Dean, Sam.” Castiel replied, the sincerity evident in his voice. “I have to go now. I plan on looking into what brought Gabriel back, but please keep me updated about his condition.”

 

“Do you think it could be God?” Sam questioned. No one else had said it but Sam knew everyone was thinking it.

 

“At this point, I truly do not know.” Castiel replied dejectedly, “I suppose I have faith though I’m not entirely sure if it’s in Him.”

 

Sam understood that feeling only too well. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of your brother.”

 

Castiel nodded once more at the brothers, trading another brief look with Dean before disappearing with a hushed flutter of feathers. 

 

There was a beat where the room was completely still, both Winchester’s contemplating what had happened that morning and what their next move was, until Dean broke that silence.

 

“I don’t know about you but I’m tired as fuck. I was driving all night and he,” Dean gestured towards Gabriel, “isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. At least Cas was smart enough to book us a double room.”

 

“Yeah, sure. Get some sleep, we’ll probably have a long drive again later. I’ll stay up and keep an eye on Gabriel. Make sure he doesn’t get any worse.”

 

“Are you sure Sammy?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam waved Dean off, “I slept on the trip over. I’m good for a while yet.”

 

“Whatever. Wake me up if anything changes.” Dean crawled on top of the covers of the other double bed, still fully clothed before flopping onto his stomach and shutting his eyes. Within minutes he was passed out, little snuffly snores coming from his direction. 

 

Sam smiled softly at his brother before turning his attention back to the unconscious archangel on the other bed. Castiel had said Gabriel was stable and at that moment in time he didn’t look like he was in pain, but he had still  _ died _ . It wasn’t something to take lightly and all Sam could think about was this all encompassing guilt he felt for his part in Gabriel’s death and this protective urge that Sam couldn’t quite explain, other than he, himself, knew what it was like to die for a cause and think he was finally done, only to be dragged kicking and screaming back to life to repeat the same old shitshow, with a new monster in a different place. It wasn’t fair.

 

He also felt a bit like a creeper just standing over Gabriel’s bed and watching him sleep, something he’d complained to Cas about doing, however there was a substantial lack of chairs in the cheap motel room so it was either sit on the bed or the floor. Understandably, Sam chose the bed.

 

Sam sat stiffly on the bed, his back pressing uncomfortably against the wooden headboard. He felt like an intruder, like he needed written permission or something to sit in the same bed, so close to the other man. He was actually quite glad that Dean was asleep. God knows what weird looks and comments Dean would’ve given him if he could see him.

 

Gabriel didn’t show any signs of being disturbed by Sam’s weight next to him, nor did he look like he was in any physical discomfort, which was a relief. He actually looked quite peaceful; younger, which was sort of strange and kind of humbling when you take into consideration how old he actually was. Mostly though, he looked honest, like he couldn’t tell a lie or hurt you. Sam found it quite unnerving. 

 

The only sign Gabriel actually gave in acknowledgement to Sam’s presence was that he moved slightly closer to him, almost like he was seeking the heat Sam was emitting. He was sort of like a cat in that sense. Sam tried to remind himself that he was a dog person.

 

Sam yawned, stretching his arms over his head as he did so, before grimacing as his muscles complained in response to the movement. The past twenty hours felt like they were starting to take a toll on Sam’s body. His legs ached from being cramped in the Impala for so long without break. Having them stretched out on the bed now was such a relief; it was almost painful. 

 

He could feel his eyes drooping. He’d lied to Dean when he had said he’d slept in the car on the ride over. In actuality, he hadn’t slept a wink. He’d tried, don’t get him wrong but, every time he had closed his eyes, the image of Gabriel lying dead on that damned hotel floor was behind them, wings scorching the upturned tables and debris covering the floor. It was seared onto Sam’s psyche.  

 

And when he hadn’t been trying to sleep, all he could think about was what they’d find when they reached Cas how bad a state Gabriel would be, if it was even him at all. Sleep was much needed at that point and Sam figured that if Gabriel started dying during the night (or technically, morning) then it would probably wake Sam up, since they were sharing a bed.

 

The tugs of unconsciousness pulled at Sam, and he found himself succumbing to the warm retreat of sleep, decidedly ignoring the little nagging voice in the back of his mind that falling asleep in the same bed as Gabriel, whether unconscious or not, was a bad idea.

 

It was the most restful sleep Sam had had in months.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


When Sam woke up, he didn’t immediately open his eyes. He felt incredibly warm and comfortable, despite the mattress beneath him feeling lumpier than the one in the Princess and the Pea. 

 

Sam could feel the warmth of another person, and someone’s eyes watching him. The attention made his skin feel tingly, like an itch he couldn’t scratch. He tried to recall who he possibly could have ended up in bed with, when everything suddenly rushed back with clarity and his eyes shot open.

 

A pair of golden eyes looked back at him with some interest. “Morning handsome.”

 

Sam jolted back in surprise, completely overbalancing and falling off the side of the bed with a less than graceful thump. 

 

Gabriel’s head peaked over the edge, his amusement all too clear. “So Sam, do you usually wait until your date is passed out before you climb into bed with them, or am I just a special case? I mean, I wouldn’t blame you. Have you seen me? Pretty damn unresistable.”

 

“Uh-”

 

“Sammy?” Dean’s voice piped up from the other bed. He had always been a light sleeper and the noise of Sam hitting the floor probably would’ve been enough to wake him. “You alright?”

 

Sam pulled himself up off of the floor, a light blush colouring his cheeks that he hoped to any deity listening that neither of the other men could see it in the darkened light of the room. 

 

“No, yeah, I’m fine Dean.”

 

Sam could see that Dean had pulled himself up into a sitting position, frowning in concern in Sam’s general direction. The effect was compromised however by Dean’s impressive bed hair defying every known law of gravity. 

 

Apparently assured that Sam was alright, Dean glanced over at Gabriel who was clearly awake and Sam could see the pieces slot together in Dean’s head. Obviously every scenario Dean put together as to how Sam ended on the floor started the same way and a weird look came across Dean’s face as he spoke, like he’d just taken a bite from a lemon. “Did you push him over?”

 

The question was directed at Gabriel. Sam turned to him to see what his reaction would be. Gabriel was leant back in bed, looking rather blase about everything. “No, I didn’t push him over. Why would I do that? He’s a freakin’ giant and I’m bedridden if you hadn’t noticed.” He paused, inspecting his nails casually before finishing. “He fell out of bed.”

 

“Out of bed?”

 

“Why are you surprised Deano? I always knew your brother had the hots for me.”

 

“You little shit!”

 

“I don’t have the hots for you.” Sam’s protests were drowned out by Dean’s outburst. 

 

Gabriel didn’t say anything but chose to raise a pointed eyebrow in Sam’s direction. Sam refused to respond in any way and give Gabriel the satisfaction.

 

Dean evidently didn’t get the memo that Gabriel provoked in order to get a reaction, because he got out of bed and stood aggressively. Perhaps it was a mixture of little sleep or just being in Gabriel’s presence that did it, but Dean seemed particularly malicious as he addressed Gabriel again.

 

“Well, you’re obviously feeling better. You won’t mind if we start heading back to the Bunker in the next hour then.”

 

Gabriel blanched, before quickly covering it up with an overly sarcastic quip. “I just had everything pulled out of me and shoved back in like a Mr Potato doll but, no really, I’m  _ fine _ .”

 

“C’mon Dean.” Sam jumped in, to Gabriel’s rescue. “Seriously, look at him. He puts on a good show but he’s barely hanging on right now. He literally died and came back to life. Give him a break.”

 

“Thanks Samantha.”

 

“Shut up Gabriel.” Sam turned to Dean to gauge his reaction. His words weren’t taking much effect so he decided to turn it up a notch and put on the puppy dog eyes. Dean’s resolve visibly melted a little. “Just one more night here. Let Gabriel get a bit of strength back and we head home in the morning.”

 

“To be honest,” Gabriel interjected, “I’m not entirely sure I can walk right now so which one of you hunks will carry me to the car?”

 

That was the killing blow for Dean and he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. “Fine, fine, we’ll go tomorrow then. I’ll go and get us another room.”

 

“Why? There are two double beds and three of us. Two of us can share. Someone has to keep an eye on Gabriel anyway.”

 

“I’ve got to drive tomorrow so you’re on babysitting duties. Are you sure you don’t mind bunking with  _ him _ ?”

 

“I’m a grown man. I’ll deal.”

 

“Oh Sam,” Gabriel exclaimed, a hand fluttering to his chest dramatically. “I didn’t know you were so eager to get into bed with me again.”

 

“I was making sure you didn’t die during the night. Again.”

 

“Oh yeah, you were doing a fantastic job of that from  _ la la land _ .”

 

“I’m human. I got tired and fell asleep.” Sam scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “Besides, knowing you, if you were dying again, the song and dance you’d make whilst doing it would wake the damn dead.”

 

“Are you saying you think I couldn’t die quietly?”

 

“I’m saying I  _ know  _ you couldn’t die quietly.”

 

“Will you two knock it off? Seriously, bickering like an old married couple. Grow up.” Dean interrupted. 

 

“Says you.” Sam muttered. 

 

If Dean heard the comment, then he elected to ignore it. “Now I don’t know about you but I’m starving so I’m gonna go and grab some grub.”

 

“I’ll do it.” Sam volunteered hastily.

 

Dean sighed loudly. “Fine. Whatever, just get me something greasy and make sure you get your PMS under control before you get back.”

 

“Get me something sweet.”

 

“You don’t have to eat, you’re an angel.” Dean pointed out.

 

“Doesn’t mean I don’t like to.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Sam conceded, checking his pockets for money. Satisfied that he had enough to buy dinner, he nodded and headed to the door. “I’ll be back soon. Text me if you need me.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

 

There was a beat of silence after the door shut.

 

“He does realise I could snap some food up for us right?” Gabriel asked.

 

“You could barely sneeze without falling over right now,” Dean dismissed, “Let alone magic up some burgers.”

 

Another pause.

 

“So what’s ‘the Bunker’? Is it your sex torture dungeon?”

 

“God help me.”

 

“No can do, I think he’s busy for the next eternity.”

 

“Fan-freaking-tastic.”

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


Sam let himself back into the room just under an hour later, half expecting to find the furniture flipped everywhere and Dean and Gabriel getting at each other’s throats. The scene which Sam was actually confronted with was vastly different to the one his imagination had conjured up.

 

Both men were lying in their retrospective beds, peacefully watching what looked like Dr Sexy MD on the old battered telly in the corner. It was strange, the things that made people put aside their differences. 

 

Sam noted that Dean had taken their bags of clothes in from the Impala and dumped them at the bottom of the beds, so at least they’d both get to sleep in something other than their jeans tonight.

 

Sam rifled around in the plastic bag he was carrying before fishing out a wrapped burger and chucking it in Dean’s direction. Dean caught it without even looking.

 

“A burger for Dean.”

 

Sam took another wrapped burger from the bag, along with a chocolate bar and threw them to Gabriel who also caught them without turning away from Dr Sexy.

 

“A burger and ‘something sweet’ for Gabe.”

 

Sam pulled out the last object in the bag before abandoning it on the floor next to his duffle bag.

 

“And a salad for me. Because I actually value my organs.”

 

“Do you mind?” Dean asked, or at least Sam guessed that’s what Dean said. His mouth was full of half chewed burger, and Sam resisted the urge to shudder. “We’re trying to watch the TV and we can’t hear it with you bitching over it.”

 

Sam took a pointed bite of his salad, chewing noisily before taking a seat on the edge of Gabriel’s bed and settling down to spend the rest of the evening watching trashy TV programmes with his brother and an archangel. It was moments like that that Sam wondered how his life had become so strange. Thinking about it usually ended up giving him a headache. Some things were probably best left alone.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


After the Dr Sexy marathon ended (it was back to back episodes - Sam couldn’t believe his bad luck) Dean turned off the TV and announced that he was going to bed. Sam took that as his cue to get ready for bed too, and grabbed his night clothes from his bag and quickly got changed in the bathroom.

 

As soon as Sam opened the bathroom door, Dean pushed past him to go in, leaving Sam alone with Gabriel. Sam made his way towards Gabriel’s side of the room and stood awkwardly by the bed, a mirror image of the night before except this time he was clad in his pajamas. 

 

Shaking his head at his own ridiculousness, Sam slipped into the bed. He’d already shared the bed once with Gabriel, so there really wasn’t any need to be so embarrassed about it now.

 

Sam sat upright, like he had the previous night with his arms folded. He really wished he had a book or something to read to pass the time, but counting the chips in the paint on the ceiling would have to make do.

 

“Look, you don’t have to watch me all night.” Gabriel said with a raised eyebrow, interrupting Sam’s counting.  “I’m not gonna flatline if you get a few hours sleep.”

 

“You could just be saying that.” Sam pointed out.

 

“Well yeah, I  _ could  _ be but I’m not. So go to sleep and I better not find you in any compromising positions when I wake up. You have to take me on at least three dates before I put out.”

 

Sam felt conflicted. On the one hand, he should be watching over Gabriel, making sure he was fine. On the other hand, he knew Gabriel  _ was  _ fine, just weak, and the thought of sleep was greatly appealing. “Are you sure?” He asked hesitantly.

 

Gabriel nodded, “Oh yeah, at least the third date. Maybe the second one if it’s an especially good one.”

 

“No, not putting out, I meant about me going to sleep.”

 

“Duh.”

 

“Fine. But if anything happens, wake me up ok?”

 

“Sam, if I started dying again then what could you do? You’re only human.”

 

There was a few beats of silence whilst Sam thought. Unable to come up with an actual response, he decided on the mature answer.

 

“Shut up Gabriel, I’m trying to sleep.”

 

“Whatever you say peaches. Sweet dreams.”

 

Sam turned onto his side, so his back was facing Gabriel. He felt Gabriel mirror him. There was something oddly comforting about it. Perhaps it was the fact that he was currently sharing a bed with one of the most powerful creatures in the universe. Well, he was on a good day anyway. It felt safe in a way Sam couldn’t quite understand - and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

 

Sam shut his eyes and slept.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


Something woke Sam up. The room was pitch black and he could hear his brother’s snuffly snores from the other bed. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary: no masked assassins come to kill them in the night; no monster under the bed jumping them while they slept. Everything seemed fine.

 

Suddenly, an elbow fell on Sam’s temple with a force that nearly knocked him off the bed, followed by a leg slammed into his side, just barely missing his crotch. A few minutes later, a low groan reverberated through the room; sounding so utterly hollow and pitiful, that Sam’s breath got caught in his throat before he realised the noise was coming from Gabriel.

 

It appeared that Gabriel was having a nightmare. Sam didn’t even know that angels dreamt. 

 

Cautious not to get another hit in the face, Sam gently shook Gabriel’s shoulder. “Gabriel,” He whispered in hushed tones, careful not to wake his brother too. “Wake up, it’s just a dream. It’s ok, you’re alright, you’re just dreaming.”

 

Gabriel stilled and his eyes blinked open. He looked around confused for a moment before he settled on Sam. “Sam?”

 

“I’m here. Are you alright?”

 

“Just fantastic.” Gabriel breathed sarcastically, relaxing back into the mattress.

 

“Wanna talk about it?” Sam offered, mimicking Gabriel’s position.

 

“Yeah, and maybe we can paint each other’s nails whilst we do.” Gabriel scoffed, “Do you really think I want to ‘talk about it’. With you of all people?”

 

“Have it your way then. But believe me, it’s better to talk about it than bottle it in. Anything is better than trying to keep whatever you’re dealing with, to yourself.” 

 

Sam rolled onto his side, figuring that would be the end of it. He’d nearly drifted back to sleep when a voice quietly spoke up behind him.

 

“I dreamed about Elysian Fields Hotel again. I was there, and so were you and Dean. And of course, the star of the show: my brother. He killed me. And then I was dead. Just drifting in this vast emptiness. There wasn’t anything, just me, alone.”

 

Sam turned back around to face him and Gabriel looked at him with angry eyes. “Is that what happens to angels when we die? Nothing? After everything we have done, and we don’t get anything? No heaven, no place where we finally get to rest? Just thrown into oblivion?” 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Why?” Gabriel asked, “It’s not your fault.”

 

“No, maybe not. Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad about it.”

 

“You damn Winchesters,” Gabriel chuckled hollowly, “You think the whole damn world’s problems are on you. Let me tell you: they’re not. This all started long before you came into existence.”

 

“I dunno, we did sort of start the apocalypse.” Sam pointed out with a small smile.

 

Gabriel nodded, “Yeah, you did do that. No you’re right, you guys single handedly ruined the world.” Gabriel paused thoughtfully before absently adding, “Or mine at least.”

 

“Yeah, uh,  sorry about that. I don’t think we ever really thanked you for what you did for us.”

 

“Again with the apologies. Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to and it was about time somebody stood up to my brother. It just took you two dumbos coming along to give me the kick up the ass I needed. Besides, who needs a nice quiet life when you get to hang with the Winchester brothers?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Sam snorted, “We’re real A-Listers. Everybody wants a damn piece of us.”

 

“I imagine that’s what’ll be like for me if the dicks upstairs get wind that I’m up and kicking again. I take it that’s why Castiel asked you two to babysit me?”

 

“Yeah, whilst you get your strength back you’ll be safest with us in the Bunker since it’s warded for literally everything. And then you can go back into hiding or tricking or whatever it is you do.”

 

“Nah, my cover’s been blown as Loki. Maybe it’s time for another makeover. And what’s this famous ‘Bunker’ that I keep hearing so much about?”

 

“Uh, well long story short, our grandfather from the past travelled to the future and told us about this cult thing we were supposed to be in but we weren’t since our grandfather died in the future helping us, and couldn’t tell our dad who would have told us about it. Anyway, we found the headquarters which we’ve sort of adopted as our own. It’s a world war two bunker full of books, and lore and artifacts from the last millennia collected in one place. Oh and we have a dungeon.” Sam grinned. “Keeping up?”

 

Gabriel stared at him. “I swear, only you two.” He shook his head, in disbelief or exasperation, Sam wasn’t sure. “And naturally you’d both be Men of Letters too. Figures.”

 

Sam started in surprise. “You know about the Men of Letters?”

 

“Oh yeah. Bunch of stiff old librarians. Tried messing with them back in the ‘20’s but they scared me off when they started talking about the holy brigade. Bet they’d be so proud that their descendants are hunters. Man, that’s hilarious. Serves them right too - that’s far better than any prank I could’ve pulled on them.”

 

“That sounds just about right,” Sam agreed, “Henry was pretty horrified when he realised we’d been raised as hunters.”

 

“Quite right too. You hunters are all alcohol and blood and sweat and plaid. Don’t get me wrong when you all first started popping up, it was pretty amusing but after a while it got a bit boring. You know there’s only so many ways to say, ‘I’m gonna kill you monster scum’.”

 

“Please tell me no hunter actually said that to you.”

 

“Things were more dramatic during the renaissance.”

 

Sam yawned, trying stifle it behind his hand. “I bet they were.”

 

“Well it’s no use me telling my tales to a sleeping audience.” Gabriel remarked with an arched brow. 

 

“I’m not tired.” Sam tried to say through another yawn.

 

“Yeah, and I have a shiny halo.” Gabriel said, “Go to sleep. I’ll tell you about the renaissance some other time if you’re really that interested.”

 

“Sounds good.” Sam replied, voice thick with drowsiness. 

 

“Hey Samsquatch.” 

 

Sam turned his head to face Gabriel. Gabriel hesitated, like he couldn’t quite force the next sentence out of his mouth. He didn’t need to though. Sam had grown up with Dean Winchester - he knew exactly what he was trying to say.

 

Sam smiled tiredly. “Yeah. I know. Anytime.” Then, “Goodnight Gabriel.”

  
“Goodnight Sam.”


	2. Chapter 2

True to his word, the next morning, whilst the sun was still breaking over the horizon, Dean shook Sam awake and prodded at Gabriel until he threw a pillow at Dean’s head. Sam rolled his eyes in amusement before dragging himself out of bed and going to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.

 

When Sam exited the bathroom Gabriel was perched on the bed, dressed and waiting to go. Sam briefly wondered where Gabriel got the clothes from since they weren’t the ones that he had been wearing in bed but a subtle glance at Gabriel showed dark shadows under his eyes and shaky hands that he was discretely trying to conceal in his jacket pockets. 

 

Sam felt concern flair in his chest and considered berating Gabriel for using his powers for something so stupid when he was so low on energy, but the defeated look Gabriel was wearing was enough to halt Sam in his tracks. He looked so unlike the happy-go-lucky archangel that they knew that it physically pained him.

 

Gabriel looked up and saw Sam waiting by the bathroom door and quickly plastered on an easy smirk but like hell it was fooling Sam. 

 

“Waiting for a strong breeze to knock you over Sambo?”

 

Sam raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “How’re you doing?”

 

“Just peachy.” Gabriel grinned, but Sam could see the chips in the armour. It was as if sam could now see past the facade to the broken man that was sitting in front of him.

 

“How’d you sleep?” Sam asked as he stepped fully into the room and began packing away his sleeping clothes into his duffle bag. 

 

“Like a baby.” Gabriel’s expression didn’t change.

 

So they weren’t going to mention the nightmare. Sam could handle that. He knew it wasn’t a particularly healthy way to deal with it but he also knew better than to poke some things with a stick. It’s not like Sam dealt healthily with his nightmares anyway, so doing anything else would just make him a hypocrite. 

 

“Ok.”

 

Gabriel’s grin flickered with surprise, like he had expected Sam to push him or make a big deal of it. He opened his mouth to respond but Dean pushed open the door and popped his head inside. 

 

“The Impala’s ready. Time to go.”

 

Sam nodded at his brother and Dean disappeared again, presumably to whisper sweet nothings to his car. He turned  back to Gabriel but his expression was closed off. Apparently the moment had passed and whatever he was going to say was lost. “Ready?”

 

Gabriel pushed himself off the bed and stood up. “Road trip with the Winchester brothers?” He pretended to gush. “Darling, I was born ready.”

 

Sam gestured at the door, as if to say go ahead whilst he finished checking everything was in his duffle. Gabriel left, leaving Sam on his own. After a few minutes of ruffling around the contents of his bag Sam was satisfied he hadn’t left anything behind. God only knows what would happen if they left a knife or gun behind for the cleaning lady to find.

 

Sam locked the door behind him and shifted the weight of the duffle on his shoulder before striding towards the direction of the front desk. A very bored and scrawny looking guy accepted the room keys with a grunt.

 

The Impala was sat in the parking lot, Dean tapping impatiently at the steering wheel. From what Sam could see, Gabriel was sprawled out entirely along the backseat. Somehow Dean wasn’t having a heart palpitation over Gabriel’s shoes being all over the interior but Sam was immensely grateful for it. It was way too early to be confined in a car with two arguing idiots. 

 

Sam quickly dumped his bag in the trunk, grabbing a book and his laptop for the journey,  before getting into the passenger seat, the door slamming shut behind him. 

 

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Dean announced, the engine roaring to life with a quick turn of the keys. Music played from the cassette player as Dean pulled onto the empty road.

 

Sam glanced at Gabriel in the rear view mirror. The other man met his eyes with a silent laugh, and winked.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


They stopped at a gas station near lunch time to refuel the Impala and grab some snacks. Dean left Sam in the car with Gabriel under the disguise of this excuse but Sam suspected Dean needed some fresh air and time away from Gabriel.

 

They had been on the road for four, maybe five hours, Sam wasn’t sure, but in that time Gabriel had managed to spend every moment trying to irritate the other two occupants with things such as: singing eighties power ballads obnoxiously loud over Led Zeppelin; playing ‘I Spy’ by himself with the answer being ‘Idiot Winchester’ every single time (Sam thought was funny at first until about the twenty sixth time when it just began to remind him of Mystery Spot); commenting on Dean’s driving abilities and kicking the back of his seat if Dean didn’t react to the baiting; and plaiting Sam’s hair from the backseat, which admittedly was quite relaxing, though the flowers that Gabriel kept weaving into it were a little much. 

 

It was all quite obnoxious but you couldn’t really expect anything different from  _ Gabriel _ . Besides, it made a welcome change to the normal road trip that Sam was used to: rock music, stilted conversation, greasy diners. It broke up the monotonous journey in a way that made Sam look forward to the rest of the journey, if not just to see what Gabriel had planned to amuse himself for the rest of it.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


A soft rock station was playing, and that mixed with the warm afternoon sun shining and the gentle purr of the Impala along the road was enough to make Sam lethargic enough to rest his head against the cool glass window. He had nearly dropped off when Dean spoke, snapping him awake again. 

 

“Ain’t he a little angel?” An echo of another time and place - hell, another angel. (an echo of what?)

 

Sam glanced back at Gabriel who was sleeping, soft snores coming from his direction every once a while. Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean. “Never thought I’d hear you say that about him.”

 

“Everyone looks honest when they’re asleep.” 

 

“I don’t know,” Sam replied grimacing slightly, “I’ve seen you whilst you’ve had some, uh, happy dreams. You forget we’ve shared a motel room pretty much our entire life. Including the  _ teen  _ years.”

 

“Dude, seriously?” Dean recoiled. “Yeah, well you’re not the only one. Half of the time I don’t know if I should be proud that dream you is getting some, or if I should bleach my eyes.”

 

“I’d say go right ahead but I think that would upset Cas. He likes your eyes.”

 

“He does?” Dean asked casually. Sam rolled his eyes. “Wait, I mean, uh, what does that have to do with anything?”

 

Sam opened his mouth to reply something along the lines of  _ it’s a good thing you’re pretty cuz Cas certainly doesn’t stick around for the ‘brains’  _ when a deep groan interrupted him from the back seat.  Both brothers checked behind them.

 

Gabriel was thrashing in his sleep, clearly distressed. It was obvious that he was having another nightmare. 

 

Dean shrugged at Sam as if to say,  _ I’m driving. _

 

Sam turned around fully in his seat, taking off his seatbelt so it didn’t choke him as he leaned towards the back.

 

“Hey,” Sam said softly, reaching out and putting a comforting hand on Gabriel’s leg. He was surprisingly warm under Sam’s hand. “It’s ok, it’s just a nightmare. You’re ok.”

 

Gabriel didn’t wake but he calmed under Sam’s touch, as though Sam’s mere presence managed to fight away the bad dreams. Satisfied that Gabriel was sleeping peacefully, Sam turned back around in his seat and strapped himself back in. When he looked up again, Dean was giving him a strange look.

 

“What?”

 

“Huh.” 

 

“ _ What _ ?” Sam repeated, this time stressing the word more. Cryptic Dean was one of the most annoying Deans, right up there with hypocritical Dean and sexually confused Dean.

 

Dean shrugged indifferently, his actions translating in Sam’s mind as  _ I just realised something but I don’t want to tell you _ . Sam just hoped that Dean’s gay thoughts had finally caught up with him. 

 

“Nothing Sammy. Change the radio to one of the cassettes, would you?” Dean easily changed topic, “I’m getting sick of listening to this crap.”

 

Sam hesitated, considering pressing Dean further for answers but ultimately deciding against it. He figured Dean would tell him in his own time. Eventually. Maybe.

 

“What? As opposed to listening to one of these cassettes for the  _ millionth  _ time?”

 

“Make it a million and one times then. Or do I have to do it myself?”

 

“Fine, fine,” Sam replied, randomly choosing a cassette from the battered cardboard box that had been holding them longer than Sam could talk, and pushing the tape into the player. “Quit your bitching.”

 

The tape clicked into place in its slot and Kansas began to play.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


Sam was three quarters of the way through his book when Gabriel woke up. The sun was setting and Sam was racing to finish his book before the light faded.

 

Of course, it inevitably did, leaving Sam with one more chapter left and a whole lot of questions on how it all ended and a slight irritation that the sun couldn’t have just waited  _ five more minutes _ .

 

He dumped his book on the dashboard and tried to push it to the back of his mind otherwise he’d spend all night obsessing over it. Instead he, pulled up his laptop that had been resting faithfully by his feet the entire journey, like a devoted guard dog. 

 

Sam booted up the laptop, tapping a rhythm against the keyboard as the screen loaded Sam’s previous browsing.

 

Sam clicked absently on different tabs, not really paying much attention. The tabs had newspaper articles that could be potential cases that needed a closer look at. They all appeared to be standard human cases that the police could deal with and one by one each tab was closed until Sam was left with one last page open.

 

Sam’s mouse hovered over the ‘x’ as he read, fully expecting it to be the same as the others but as he read on, the article was clearly describing supernatural deaths. Sam wasn’t sure  _ what  _ it was exactly but he was fairly certain that there was a case there.

 

He didn’t intend to take the case since they had Gabriel to deal with but if Sam could gather up some intel on it then he could pass it onto any hunters that were in that particular area. 

 

Sam sighed and rubbed his eye. Without wifi there wasn’t a lot he could do at that moment. It would’ve been the perfect time to look into the case too - Sam didn’t have anything else to do and he wasn’t particularly feeling like taking a nap.

 

From the backseat came the sound of snapping fingers.

 

Sam glanced up at the rearview mirror to check that Gabriel was ok. Gabriel met his eyes in the mirror and raised an eyebrow, nodding towards the laptop.

 

He looked down at his laptop and right enough, the little icon at the bottom right of his screen showed his laptop was receiving bars of internet - it was a relatively weak signal but it was enough that he’d be able to surf the net.

 

Sam looked back up at the mirror and Gabriel smiled smugly back. Sam returned his smile and nodded in thanks.

 

Cracking his knuckles, he got to work.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


At long last, they finally reached the Bunker.  Sam let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the old building sat atop of the bunker, welcoming them back. They were  _ home _ .

 

Gabriel looked around out of the window, a distinctly unimpressed look on his face saying “ _ is this it?”  _ Sam smirked. It was nice that they’d finally be able to pull one over on Gabriel. He was gonna be in for one hell of a surprise. 

 

Sam watched Gabriel’s face as Dean pulled into the hidden little drive next to the Bunker and parked  in the garage. His eyebrows climbed startlingly high with disbelief as they disappeared into the hidden space. 

 

He glanced at Sam and Sam met his expression with a smug smile. “Neat trick.”

 

Sam’s smile widened. 

 

Dean pulled out the keys and the engine died. He turned around to face Gabriel in the back. “Sam’ll show you around and get you settled. I’m gonna make myself dinner. Want any?” Sam shook his head no, as did Gabriel. Dean made to get out of the car before he paused and turned back. “And don’t touch anything. We’ve got all sorts of nasty shit laying around.”

 

“Scouts honour.” Gabriel promised, holding up the three finger salute. 

 

Dean rolled his eyes and got out of the Impala, muttering under his breath about Gabriel never being a scout. 

 

They listened as Dean took his duffle from the trunk and disappeared down the stairs into the main Bunker. 

 

“So,” Gabriel started. “This is the Bunker, huh?”

 

“No.” Sam said with a small smile. “This is the garage. The real Bunker’s down there. You don’t strike me as the kind of guy that’s easily impressed but I’m pretty sure even  _ you’ll  _ be impressed when you see it.”

 

“I suppose there’s a first time for everything.” Gabriel commented doubtfully, but Sam could see the amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Now, unless you want to do what this back seat was made for, I suggest we get out of the car so you can show me around.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows comically at Sam. “Unless you want to take me up on that offer.”

 

“I think Dean would actually kill me if we stained the leather.” Sam replied with a playful smirk. He sniggered as Gabriel looked caught off guard at Sam’s response, like he hadn’t expected anything other than Sam being uncomfortable at his ‘flirting’. Sam picked his book off the dash and threw it at Gabriel’s head, or as close to that direction as he could, laughing. “Hurry up and get out. Or else Dean really will think we’re baptizing the back seat.” 

 

Sam slipped out of the car, Gabriel following a second later. Sam looked over the top of the Impala and met Gabriel’s eyes, and pointed in the direction that Dean went.

 

“Just down those stairs and through those doors, ok? I’m just gonna get my stuff.”

 

Gabriel saluted him before heading that direction himself. Sam went around to the back of the Impala, popping open the trunk and shoving his book and laptop back into his duffle. As he tidied his stuff up, he made a note  to call up some hunters in the morning to tell them about the case that he had discovered earlier.

 

Sam closed the trunk and pulled his bag over his shoulder. He looked over towards the stairs that led into the main Bunker. Gabriel was making his way down them slowly, his hand gripping the railing tighter than was probably normal. 

 

Sam took a second to consider what he was seeing. It was easy to forget that Gabriel had been dead literally days ago since he hid it so well under humor and smiles. He was still incredibly weak - after all that’s why he was staying at the Bunker - and that long trip had probably taken more out of him than he’d ever actually admit. 

 

Before Sam can think properly about what he’s doing, he catches up to Gabriel and loops his arm through Gabriel’s free one, supporting his weight. Gabriel starts  at the contact before frowning up at Sam.

 

“What’re you doing?”

 

“Helping.”

 

Gabriel’s frown deepened and his voice took on a tone of petulance. “You Winchester’s and your hero complexes. I’m not a damn invalid.”

 

“Oh really?” Sam asked, “What were you doing this time last week?”

 

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond but then snapped it shut, choosing to glare at him instead. Apparently Sam had managed to make the man who wouldn’t shut up, speechless. 

 

“Besides,” Sam added, “You might be immortal but I’d die of old age before you got to the bottom of the stairs.”

 

Gabriel’s glare doubled in strength before he looked away and sighed dramatically. It wasn’t exactly ‘go ahead’ but Gabriel wasn’t pushing Sam down the stairs to get away from him either, so he took it as permission to help.

 

Sam smiled triumphantly as they began to descend again. Gabriel’s eyes flickered toward Sam and he glared again at the expression he found there.

 

“Shut up.”

 

Sam’s smile widened to a grin, but he didn’t say anything. They reached the bottom of the stairs a lot faster than they would’ve if Sam had let Gabriel be pigheaded, so he counted that as a win.

 

Reluctantly, Sam let go of Gabriel’s arm, giving him a questioning look that asked if he’d be ok to walk the rest of the way without Sam to lean on. 

 

Gabriel waved him off. “Don’t look so much like a kicked puppy, seriously, I’m fine.”

 

“Ok.” Sam said, placated for the moment. “Let’s do this.” 

 

He put one hand on each doorknob of the double doors and pushed them open, revealing the Bunker. Sam walked in, Gabriel following him, looking around and trying to seem suitably unimpressed (and failing). 

 

Sam swept an arm around the room. “Welcome to the Bunker.”

 

Gabriel nodded as he studied the main room. “Not a bad set up.”

 

“Yeah, it’s come in useful once or twice.” Sam agreed with a chuckle. He pointed toward the staircase through the open archway. “Up that way is the main door. This is the main room. Through there is the kitchen - don’t touch anything in there. Dean’s really protective of his kitchen.” 

 

Sam lead Gabriel away from the war room and into one of the side corridors. “Down here are spare rooms. Storage rooms, some bedrooms. Mine and Dean’s are down here so we’ll be close by if you need anything.”

 

Sam pushed open one of the doors that he remembered had a bedroom set up behind it - it was a few doors away from Sam’s room so Gabriel wouldn’t feel smothered. Gabriel entered the room and inspected it, picking up random nicknacks that Sam’s predecessors had left lying around. 

 

“I guess this’ll do.” Gabriel commented, his face straight but his eyes were laughing. “I’ve slummed in worse I guess.”

 

Sam leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, smirking. “We could put you up in the dungeon if you really wanted.”

 

Gabriel’s eyebrows receded to his hairline in disbelief. “I was joking when I said about this place being a sex-torture dungeon, you know that right?”

 

“I wasn’t. Though,” Sam mused faux-thoughtfully, “Not so much sex goes on down there.”

 

“So it’s just a torture dungeon then?”

 

“Well, in Crowley’s case it was mostly a ‘sit-in-the-dark-and-think-about-what-you’ve-done’ dungeon.”

 

“You had the King of Hell locked up in your dungeon?”

 

Sam shrugged minutely. 

 

“Of course you did. Only the Winchester’s.”

 

Sam smiled at the exasperation in Gabriel’s voice. It always brought him no end of amusement when creatures as old as time that must have seen literally  _ everything  _ were frustrated or surprised by something him or his brother did. It was nice to know they could still be original. 

 

The atmosphere in the room became awkward. Sam didn’t have any more reasons to be there yet he was unwilling to leave just yet.

 

“So,” Sam began, trying to prolong the conversation. “Is there anything else you need?”

 

“Nope.” Gabriel replied, popping the ‘p’. 

 

“Ok then.” Sam replied slowly. “Night then, I guess.”

 

“Night Sambo. Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

 

Sam shut the door behind him, leaving Gabriel to himself. Even from the corridor he could hear Dean in the kitchen. He considered going in and trying to scrounge some food off of Dean but ultimately decided against it. Instead he went to his room. His plain old room that was exactly the way he had left it but for some reason now it just made him feel lonely. He changed into a fresh pair of pajamas, noting in his mind to chuck all the clothes in his duffle in the wash the next morning, but slipping under the sheets and arranging the pillows under his head. He goes to sleep in an empty bed, the warm body he’d become used to, overwhelmingly absent.

 

That night Sam had bad dreams.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


Over the next few days things go back to normal. Or as normal as the Winchesters plus the archangel Gabriel could get. 

 

Castiel popped in briefly from his search for Metatron to check on Gabriel. According to Cas there had been no noticeable change in the strength of Gabriel’s grace however he, himself, was no longer bedridden which could only be a positive sign. It looked like they were in for the long haul, Castiel estimating that it could be months or even years before his brother was his full strength again.

 

Dean managed to persuade him to stay for dinner in where he roped both angels into becoming his own personal kitchen staff in helping him cook. Sam had been banished to wait at the table since he could ‘burn water’ which Sam thought was distinctly untrue and unfair since he’d lived away from home - which according to Dean didn’t count since he was a college student, and making ramen noodles wasn’t ‘real cooking’ - but he didn’t put up any argument, quite content just to sit and watch everyone.

 

It was all disgustingly domestic, Sam mused. He loved it. It made his heart swell with warmth watching his makeshift family; Cas and Gabe bickering good naturally, completely covered in flour whilst Dean barked orders and tried to hide his soppy, lovelorn glances at Castiel’s disgruntlement. He had to admit though there was something funny about a guy in a suit and trenchcoat with white handprints all over his face, courtesy of Gabriel.

 

Gabriel proved himself useful around the Bunker too. Turns out that he could speak pretty much every language in existence. It shouldn’t have been that surprising since he’d literally been around before time but it still seemed like a pretty impressive feat to Sam. It made archiving and translating ancient texts and artifacts easier and it also meant that he and Gabriel were spending a lot of time alone together.

 

Sam even suspected that there was a prank war starting between Gabriel and Dean - one that Sam resolutely decided to stay out of for fear of the safety of his life and his books. 

 

In short, things had been good. Different, but good. But despite all of this, Sam felt off, like something was missing or wrong. It might have been due to his sleep deprivation or a guilt complex that he’d developed over his hand in Gabriel’s death (and subsequent resurrection) but those were the two excuses he’d offer if anyone asked him how he found himself standing in Gabriel’s room at four in the morning.

 

He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing there. He felt like he was in enemy territory, trespassing some invisible line that had been established, yet whilst he had been lying in bed staring blankly at his ceiling, all he could think about was giving in to this itch that had been bothering him and to follow his feet to Gabriel’s room. So he did.

 

Now he was there, he wasn’t sure what to do. Gabriel was fine, sleeping soundly. He was  _ fine _ , so Sam didn’t need to be there. And yet he couldn’t find it within himself to leave.

 

Gabriel chose then to roll over in his sleep, facing towards Sam, before letting out a sigh and lifting a lethargic head off his pillow. Sam’s blood turned to ice. “Sam?”

 

Either Gabriel could somehow sense Sam was there due to his archangel powers or Sam had been breathing too loudly and it had just disturbed Gabriel awake (though when he put it like that he realised how much of a creep he sounded).

 

“Uh yeah.” Sam replied quietly. “I was uh, I was just checking on you, but you’re fine, so I guess I’ll just be going then.”

 

Sam could feel Gabriel’s eyes boring into him through the dark room as he began to shuffle away.

 

“ _ Sam _ .”

 

Something in Gabriel’s voice made him stop and turn back around. Wordlessly, Gabriel pulled back the corner of the duvet and watched him expectantly.

 

Sam felt a flush creep up his neck, knowing what Gabriel was offering him. He felt embarrassed yet, he couldn’t deny he didn’t want to crawl into the bed next to the other man.

 

Mind made up, Sam approached the bed again, bare feet padding softly against the floor. Gabriel apparently satisfied by Sam’s  decision, dropped the covers and shuffled over to make more space for Sam’s large frame. 

 

Sam slipped into the bed, pulling the duvet comfortably over him and let out a huff of contentment that he hadn’t know he had been holding in. Sam relaxed and closed his eyes, Gabriel’s breath brushing the back of his neck. It was ridiculous, he knew, but it felt right and Sam knew that he’d sleep fine that night.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


It happened again.

 

And again. 

 

In fact, it happened for three nights straight. During the day everything was normal, Sam and Gabriel exchanged banter and amused glances over archiving. 

 

But during the night Sam would find his way to Gabriel’s room and Gabriel would open his bed to him without a word, and Sam doesn’t really know what is happening but he knows he doesn’t want it to stop.

 

It seemed to be an unspoken arrangement that they both needed, perhaps even craved.

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


Sam went to bed much later than usual. Some tricky translation that wouldn’t give him a break and Gabriel had gone to bed hours before, still tiring easier due to his grace. Eventually Sam cracked it, or most of it anyway, a few words here and there he’d have to get Gabriel to check in the morning.

 

He felt like a zombie as he stumbled towards his room, eyes being weighted down by led, hands tracing along the walls to guide him to his room.

 

It was probably due to this reason that when Sam got to his room, he didn’t notice the extra plaid shirts lying on his chair that were far too small for him, or the extra books that had been piled on the desk, or the angel blade lying innocently on the bedside cabinet. 

 

He certainly didn’t notice the other person asleep in his bed, until he had face planted onto the covers and in his sluggish daze, curled up against the warm figure, arm thrown over their waist and face tucked into the nape of their neck, soft hair tickling at Sam’s nose.

 

It was only when they noticeably held their breath at the contact that Sam came back to his senses and realised Gabriel was in  _ his  _ bed, and Sam was spooning  _ Gabriel _ . Sure, sharing the bed was one thing but they’d never touched, let alone even  _ spooned _ . 

 

Gabriel was frozen in his arms and he wasn’t sure if was because Sam was holding him or if because he thought that Sam would realise what he was doing and have a big gay freakout. The thing was, Sam wasn’t freaking out. Sure, perhaps if it had been anyone else he might’ve but it was  _ Gabriel _ . 

 

Deciding to be brave, Sam relaxed and nuzzled into Gabriel’s neck, shutting his eyes. As he relaxed, Gabriel did too, melting further into the embrace. 

  
  


**. . . . .**

  
  


It sort of became habit after that, with Gabriel moved into Sam’s room, making it  _ their  _ room. They’d wake up, tangled together, someone’s head resting against the others chest listening to their heart beat. It should’ve been awkward, but it wasn’t. It was just comfortable. 

 

It took Dean a week to notice Gabriel coming and going from ‘Sam’s room’ and it took him another week to realise that Gabriel had moved his things into Sam’s room. 

 

Naturally Dean decided to rip the ever living piss out of them, much to Sam’s disgruntlement and Gabriel’s ruthless amusement, however after an incident with laxatives hidden in coffee and clingfilm over the toilet seat, Dean limited his mocking only to Sam whenever Gabriel was out of earshot with jokes about never getting laid again since he already had someone in his bed. (The appropriate response to that of course was that already having someone in your bed is usually a good start to getting laid. On another occasion when Dean made this joke and Sam was feeling particularly snippy, he mused that Gabriel looked like he’d be into voyeurism whilst Dean choked on his beer.)

 

The casual touching wasn’t just limited to cuddling in bed anymore. Sam noticed an increase of affectionate gestures around the Bunker. Fingers brushing when exchanging books, leaning against each other, running his fingers through Sam’s hair,even  the odd forehead kiss. 

 

It was actually really nice. He hadn’t realised how little he was actually touched that wasn’t either sexual or violent. Sam wasn’t the only one who’d noticed though, judging from the pensive looks and the lack of teasing from Dean.

 

One day in the library, all three of them were searching through the library’s contents looking for some specific information. Gabriel was sat on a separate table, away from where Sam and Dean were sitting. Dean nudged Sam’s foot under the table, distracting Sam from what he had been reading.

 

Dean looked like he had swallowed a particularly bitter pill. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it since it was ‘chick stuff’ but his big brother instinct appeared to be winning out.

 

“So, uh. What’s going on between you and Gabriel? I don’t need to go and give him the ‘you hurt him, and I’ll hurt you speech’ do I?”

 

Sam glanced speculatively over at where the archangel was sitting - hunched over an old tome, a lollipop that came from God knows where hanging from his lips - and found himself smiling.

  
He didn’t know what  _ this  _ was, and he didn’t know if it would all end up just blowing up in his face, but Sam was happier than he had been in a long time, so whatever  _ this  _ was could only be a good thing. And to be honest, he was going to have a hell of a lot of fun with Gabriel figuring it all out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , to see updates on fics or to leave me a prompt - or feel free just to send me a message and chat about sabriel. :)


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